A letter from Bertha of the Obertenghi (1021, June 6)

Translated letter:

In the name of the lord God and our savior Jesus Christ, Henry, by God’s grace august emperor in the eighth year of his empire, with God propitious, sixth day of the month of June, fourth indiction. We, Oldric, who is also Manfred, marquis, son of late Manfred, also marquis, and Bertha, countess, spouses, daughter of late Obbert also marquis, and I Bertha, as above have professed to live from my birth under the law of the Langobards, but now for the sake of my husband I am understood to live under Salic law. With that spouse and my protector consenting to me and confirming below and according to law together with knowledge of my closer relatives to the woman above, that is Adalbert, marquis, my brother and also Albert, little boy, my nephew, father and son, in the presence of these and of witnesses I make firm declaration that I have not endured violence from any man nor from that spouse and protector but only by my good and spontaneous will we, the above spouses, have received, jointly and in the presence of witnesses, from you, Sigfred, priest, son of the late Adelgis, through your messenger Agifred, judge of the holy palace, son of the late Gosson, one-hundred thousand pounds of good silver coin, a fixed price for houses, castles, chapels, lands, cities, plots and all things, with our rights, that are located in the counties of Parma, Piacenza, Pavia, Ticino, Tortona, Vercelli, Aqui, Asti, Ivrea, Torino, Auriate, Alba, Aosta, Albenga, Ventimiglia and (whatever) will be found in other counties with our rights in things. Moreover, those houses, castles and chapels, lands, cities, plots and vineyards with their grounds, in just measure over all, are a thousand acres and if more from our things is found with rights in those same places and estates, than is read in the above territories, than is read in the above measure through this charter of sale. And let that price endure as yours, Sigfred, priest, above, or for whomever you will give or establish to hold power with proprietary right as was said, both with houses and plots and arable lands, vineyards, meadows, grasses, pastures, woods and copse woods, shores, cliffs and marshes, mills and fisheries, markets, areas of jurisdiction and tolls with mountains and plains with high mountains and aldicis lying on both sides with every right, adjacent things and appurtenances of their things by places and names of those houses and all things belonging in their entirety. Moreover, with all the above-noted things with our rights said above together with their accesses and rights of entry and with upper and lower things of those things as the measure is read above, completely from this day, we sell, hand over, and relinquish to you Sigfred, priest, above, for that price (and) with things sold, given, transferred, rendered subject or handed over to no other except to you. Moroever by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree,1 we thereby make legitimate transfer and investiture to you and we thereby have driven ourselves out, guaranteed and made (ourselves) absent and we relinquish to you, and your property to be held thenceforth from the present day (so that) you or whomever you will give with proprietary right by name (will do) whatever he will without any contradiction or reclamation of us and our heirs. But if, which we do not believe will occur, we, as above Oldric, marquis and Bertha, countess, spouses, or any of our heirs or representatives of heirs or any person opposed will, God forbid, attempt at any time to go against this charter of sale or seek to infringe it through any contrivance then let us bear against that party, against which we have brought suit, great penalty, that is ten thousand ounces of pure gold, twenty thousand pounds of silver (and) we will renew what we cannot vindicate, but let this present charter of sale remain firm for long duration and endure unshaken with stipulation confirmed, and regarding us, who are the above Oldric, marquis and Bertha, countess, spouses, and our heirs and representatives of heirs, (we will) defend that sale, as read above, completely from any man, for you, the above Sigfred, priest, or for whomever you will give or establish to possess, which if we cannot defend or if we seek thereby to withdraw anything from you through any contrivance, then let us restore to you that sale, as read above, in twofold as they will have been improved or valued at that time by judgment in similar places, and I have embossed the parchment with ink from the earth which we have given Opizon, notary of the holy palace, and asked him to write and deliver the document, which confirming below I offered to be strengthened by witnesses, and I have said that you owe nothing back to us from that price. Enacted happily within the castle Nono. Sign by the hands of the above-noted Oldric, marquis and Bertha, countess, spouses, who requested that this charter of sale be made and received that price, and to the same marquis, I, his spouse, consented as above. Sign by the hands of those Albert, marquis, and also Albert, father and son, who questioned the same Bertha, countess, their sister and paternal aunt, as above. Sign by the hands of Cunibert and also Cunibert and William, all witnesses living under Salic law. Sign by the hands of Robald, Albert, Gisulf and Richard, witnesses. I, who am the above Opizon, notary of the holy palace, writer of this charter of sale, completed and gave it, subsequently delivered.2

Original letter:

In nomine Domini Dei et Saluatoris nostri Ihu Xpi Enricus gracia dei Imperator Augustus anno imperii eius Deo propicio octauo sexto die mensis iunius indictione quarta. Nos Odelrici qui et Maginfredi Marchioni filius condam item Maginfredi Marchio et Berta cometissa iugales filia condam Obberti itemque Marchio que professa sum ego qui supra Berta ex nacione mea legem uiuere Langobardorum sed nunc pro ipso uiro meo legem uiuere uideor salica. ipso namque iugale et mondoaldo meo mihi consenciente et supter confirmante et iusta lege una cum noticia de propinquioribus parentibus meis cui supra femine idest Adalbertus Marchio germano meo et item Albertus infantulo pater et filio nepote meo. in quorum presentia uel testium certa facio professione quod me pati uiolentiam ad quempiam ominem nec ab ipso iugale et mondoaldo meo nisi mea bona et sponttanea uoluntate accepissemus nos qui supra iugales comuniter sicuti et in presencia testium accepimus ad te Sigefredus presbiter filius condam Adelgisi per misso tuo Agifredus iudex sacri palacii filius condam Gossoni argentum denarios bonos libras centum milia finitum precium pro casis castris capellis terris ciuitatibus sediminas et omnibus rebus iuris nostris quibus sunt positis in comitatu Parmensis Placenciensis Ticinensis Tartonensis Vercellensis Aquensis Astensis Eporediensis Torinensis Oriadensis Albensis Auogenensis Abeganensis Vigintimiliensis et per aliis comitatibus de nostris iuriis rebus inuenire potuerit. quod sunt ipsis casis castris et capellis terris ciuitatibus sediminibus et uineis cum areis suarum per mensura iusta super totum iugera mille milia et si amplius de nostris iuris rebus in easdem locis et fundis territoriis que superius legitur plus inuentum fuerit quam ut super mensura legitur per anc cartula uendicionis. et supra isto precio in tua cui supra Sigifredi presbiteri. aut cui tu dederis uel abere statueris persistat potestatem proprietario iuri ut dictum est tam casis quam sediminibus seu terris arabilis uineis pratis ierbis pascuis siluis ac stallariis ripis rupinis ac palutibus molendinis et piscationibus mercatis districtis et toloneis montibus et planiciis cum alpis et aldicis ex utraque partes reiacentibus cum omni iure adiacenciis et pertinenciis earum rerum per locas et uocabulas ab ipsis casis et rebus omnibus pertinentibus in integrum. Que autem superscriptis rebus omnibus iuris nostris superius dictis una cum accessioni et ingressores earum seu cum superioribus et inferioribus earum rerum qualiter supra mensura legitur in integrum ab ac die tibi cui supra Sigefredi presbiteri pro isto precio uendimus tradimus et mancipamus nulli alii uenditis donatis alienatis obnoxiatis uel traditis nisi tibi. Insuper per cultellum fistucum notatum uuantonem et uuasosonem terre atque ramum arboris tibi exinde legitimam facimus tradicionem et uestituram et nos exinde foris expulimus uuarpiuimus et absente fecimus et tibi at tuam proprietatem abendum reliquimus faciendum exinde a presenti die tu aut cui tu dederis iure proprietario nomine quicquid uoluerit sine omni nostra et eredum nostrorum contradicione uel repeticione. Si quis uero quod futurum esse non credimus si nos qui supra Odelrici Marchioni et Berta cometissa iugalibus quod absit aut ullis de eredibus ac proeredibus nostris seu quislibet oposita persona contra hanc cartula uendicionis ire quandoque tentauerimus aut ea per quouis genium infrangere quesierimus tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quem exinde litem intullerimus multa quod est pene auri optimi uncias decem milia argenti pondera uiginti milia quod repetierimus uindicare non ualeat sed presens anc cartula uendicionis in diuturnis temporibus firma permanead atque persistat inconuulsa cum stipulacione subnixa et ad nos qui super Odelrici Marchioni et Berta cometissa iugalibus nostrisque eredibus ac proeredibus tibi cui supra Sigelfredi presbiteri aut cui tu dederis uel abere statueris ista uenditio qualiter superius legitur in integrum ab omni omine defensare. quod si defendere potuerimus aut si uobis exinde aliquit per quouis ingenium suptraere quesierimus tunc in duplum eadem uendicio ut supra legitur uobis restituamus sicut pro tempore fuerint melioratis aut ualuerint sub extimacione in consimiles locas et bergamene cum astramentario de terra eleuaui paginem Opizoni notarii sacri palacii tradauimus et scribere rogouimus in qua supter confirmans testibuisque optuli roborandam et nihil nobis ex ipso precio aliquit retdere deberis dixi. Actum infra castro Nono feliciter. Signum ++ manibus suprascriptorum Odeliici Marchioni et Berta Cometis iugalibus qui hanc cartum uendicionis fieri rogauerunt et isto precio acceperunt et eidem isti Marchioni coniux sue consensi ut supra. Signum +++ manibus istorum Alberti Marchioni. et item Alberti pater et filio qui eadem Berte cometisse germana et amita suorum interrogauerunt ut supra. Signum +++ manibus Cuniberti et item Cuniberti seu Wilielmi omnes lege uiuentes salica testes, Signum ++++ manibus Robaldi Alberti seu Gisulfi atque Rihardi testes. Ego qui supra Opizoni notarius sacri palacii scriptor uius cartula vendicionis post tradita compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

According to this document, Oldric Manfred and Bertha, his wife, sell to Sigifred, a priest, all their property in the counties of Parma, Piacena, Pavia, Tortona, Vercelli, Acqui, Asti, Ivrea, Turin, Alba, Albenga and Ventimiglia. Previte Orton says there is no doubt the sale was a carefully constructed fiction, contrived by Oldric Manfred with the connivance of his wife and in-laws, a result of his old conflict with German bishops to prevent their taking possession of imperial grants of public powers and confiscated properties and the recent threat of a new imperial campaign in Italy (The Early History of the House of Savoy, Cambridge: 1912, 172-74).

Scholarly notes:

1 These are traditional symbolic objects handed over at the transfer of property. I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this explanation. 2 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Historiae Patriae Monumenta, (Augustae Taurinorum ex Officina Regia: 1853), Chartarum T.I, c.432-34, doc.252.

Date:

1021, June 6